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The dreaded Round 25 is officially here and nobody is happy about it. There are 8 teams on a bye and the other 12 teams are playing on Wednesday. Yes this stinks and causes a bit of a headache, but then we have to take in to account that the next round starts on Friday. That makes this a DGW for the players which means rotation is a serious risk. No one ever knows what MLS coaches might do, so prepare for the worst and still expect to get screwed over.

Just in case you need a reminder, the 8 teams that will not be playing in a midweek matchup this round are the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, NYCFC, RBNY, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, Sporting KC, and the Vancouver Whitecaps. A lot of great fantasy options are on those teams but you’ll have to make do with the other teams that are playing in this round.

Ok let's just get into the picks…as per usual with these odd rounds, I'll only mention who to bring in since the pickings are slim to begin with.

Goalkeepers

Who to bring in:

Steve Clark: The Columbus man is currently 7th best for keepers in fantasy points which isn't bad but it's also nothing to brag about either. The reason I'm recommending him is purely for his schedule. He plays Philly at home this round, San Jose at home next round, and LA Galaxy away in another dreaded bye week in round 27. You don't want to be wasting transfers on goalkeepers, so to have a guy that is $5.7 and will be guaranteed to play through all these weird rounds would be really helpful. Consider him.

Alex Bono: If you're feeling a bit riskier, you could take the Bono route. He is cheaper at $4.7 but his time with the first team is numbered. He will most likely be playing a couple more games but Clint Irwin is on the recovery train and will be back sooner rather than later. However for the next couple rounds, Bono is a good option, and hopefully for round 27 you have a goalkeeper on your bench to replace him with.

Defenders

Who to bring in:

Drew Moor: I recommended him last week and he managed to bag a goal. He's priced high for a defender at $7.9 but he is also the number one defender in the game right now. The only disadvantage to picking him up is his bye in 27 but if your team is set up well with bench defenders, it could also not be an issue for you.

Michael Parkhurst: He’s another expensive guy at $7.8 but he's worth considering here for the same reasons as Steve Clark. His match ups are good and barring injury you know he's going to play. Parkhurst is one of the best defenders in MLS and while that hasn't necessarily shown to be true in fantasy, I still think he's a good option.

Daniel Steres/Jonathan Campbell: Two cheap guys who aren't on byes in the near future. Most people own at least one of them but I'm betting several people own both. Steres is $5.5 and Campbell is $5.1. Use them to your advantage!

Midfielders

Who to bring in:

Justin Meram: He has a goal and assist in his last two games and he's been a nice little sleeper pick the last couple rounds. If you're looking at the Crew’s midfield, most people will be looking to bring in Higuain or Finlay, so Meram could be a nice cheap differential pick if you're looking to save a little cash. He's currently $8.6.

Ignacio Piatti: He was beyond disappointing against Chicago last round but I'm not giving up on him yet. He's a big name midfielder this year and having most of the other big mids out, it's kind of a must that you own him. He's $11.4 and you should probably pay that for the number 2 mid in the game right now.

Nicolas Lodeiro: Since coming to MLS he has certainly proven his worth and his price of $11.8. There are rumors of him getting called in to the Uruguayan national team but there are also rumors of him delaying his leave until after the Timbers game. It's a risk, know that and make your decision. The reason I still recommend him is because not only has be been on a tear in MLS and Fantasy, but he's also one of the only good fantasy mids available this round.

Forwards

Who to bring in:

Ola Kamara: I keep recommending him hoping he gets back to his goal scoring ways and this round is no different. Crew players are valuable right now so that's why I'm sticking with him. He's all yours for $8.8.

Sebastian Giovinco: Of course, right? Who wouldn't own the best player in the game, playing quite possibly one of the worst defenses in the league? I'm keeping my money invested in Gio and you should too. He's $13.7.

Robbie Keane: It seems Keane is good to go for the Galaxy and he could be a very important piece to your team. He plays through both major bye weeks and then straight into a DGW. You should probably own him and that's probably an understatement. Spend the $11.5 on him.

And lastly, you should at least consider either Dempsey or Morris. Since Lodeiro’s come into the team, these two guys are finding themselves with lots of opportunities. Dempsey gets the upper hand here because he's actually been putting his away as well as taking penalties but Morris should also be considered because he's cheaper. I'm not picking these guys but I am saying that they should be considered, they do have a bye in round 27 so just keep that in mind.